The Island of Tomorrow
by Sir Khan
Summary: After Kion is prophesied as being the harbinger of doom to the Pridelands and the Circle of Life, Simba is forced to send Kion and the Guard on a journey he fears they may never return from in order to try and escape fate. Kion must face his past, his future, his fears, love, loss, mystery and the truth head on. Darker themes throughout.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all! I've always been a huge fan of TLK and Disney in general, and I'm excited to give this a try. This story is set with Kion and the others nearing the ages they are towards the mid-end area of S3. This AU is one in which Scar is still alive and never enacted a plan to kill Simba and Mufasa. The Tree of Life arc has not yet happened, Kion never had any encounters with Scar/obtained a scar, etc. **

**This is a story I've put a lot of thought into, and I'm excited to bring it into fruition for you guys. Enjoy, and please leave a review with your thoughts on each new chapter if you feel led to. **

—

_**The Island Of Tomorrow **_

_A Lion King Story _

—

**Four Months Ago…**

Simba was in pain. Not a physical, tangible pain like one might picture without context; a pain that caused his heart to wretch and twist. It was a catalyst of anguish that gutted him from the inside out, and left him lying atop Pride Rock with tears flooded his eyes. He couldn't see the sunset through the blurriness, but could almost feel his father beside him, assuring him that the kingdom before him is still his. He could almost believe, for a moment, that he was a proper, rightful king.

He sketched a meaningless shape into the dust before him with his claw, remembering all the years he had worried about reaching the top. He recalled just how much it terrified him; the responsibility, the image he had to maintain, all of it. However, there are aspects of being ruler that Simba was never told of. As beautiful and harmonious as the Pridelands were, there were secrets below the dusty surface that even Mufasa dared not to scratch. There were stories proven to be true, legends that appeared to be one with reality. There were tales of spirits, heroes and villains. If Simba did not fulfill his destiny and keep the circle of life stable, he feared what may happen.

Above all, there were the prophecies.

Simba knew the wise Rafiki was usually right; it was that simple. Even if the truth is conveyed in the most bizarre way possible, Rafiki was never _really _wrong. Now, when Rafiki revealed the truth of the Pridelands to Simba, it was perhaps the first time Simba believed, or at least hoped, that Rafiki was incorrect. How could such a silly baboon be the holder of such crucial information? It made no sense to him. Who had told him? Why?

However, as the signs of the prophecy played out over the following weeks before his eyes, Simba was forced to accept the truth: his son was far from a normal lion, and there was much beneath the surface of the Pridelands.

Kion was certainly different; the chief of the Lion Guard, sure, but even _more _than that. In fact, Kion was destined to be the end of the Pridelands: he was to be the destroyer of all things harmonious, and all that the light dared to touch. Kion would be the end of all Mufasa entrusted his son with; the harbinger of death, and Simba knew that there was little he could do to stop it. Kion could destroy the circle of life as he knew it.

_Hope_, yes. He could hope, each and every day, that the prophecy was wrong, or at least misguided. After all, Kion, at this point, was a fierce, yet empathetic lion. He cared about other animals, his friends and family, and wanted nothing more than to protect the Pridelands from danger. It was his one and only duty, and he swore he would never let it slip through his paws.

_What kind of king am I? _

Simba felt the urge to pound his paw on the rocky surface of Pride Rock, but refrained, as he knew the rest of the pride were still peacefully sleeping. He wasn't usually one to rise so early, but Kion's changing behavior had caused him to mingle little with the idea of sleep. His bloodshot eyes were evidence of his mental wrestling that only Nala had noticed, since Sarabi was on a small trek to visit her sister. He knew that if his mother caught sight of his stress, there would be no end to the bugging.

Simba thought back to the night he had talked with Rafiki about his son, hearing the baboon's words echo through his ears. Rafiki nearly had a voice of mourning; a voice the baboon rarely wore, even in times of sorrow. Simba has always sought him in times he needed good news, encouragement or medical assistance. But this night was different. Rafiki had called him alone to meet out of the blue — something that concerned Simba greatly. When the baboon began to speak forlornly, his concerns amplified.

"_Simba, we must talk about something_".

He felt like he was a cub again, about to scolded by his father. He braced himself for what was to come, but remained stoic as usual.

"_Alright, what is it Rafiki?" _

Rafiki sighed, pinched his eyes shut for a moment, and took a deep breath, unclenching his fists. The uptight body language created even more concern within Simba.

"_Okay. Your son, Kion" _the baboon started.

Simba raised his eyebrows, nervously glancing at the foliage around them as they stood, hidden within the shadows of an Acacia tree.

"_Yes?_" Simba spoke cautiously.

Rafiki looked on with difficulty for a short moment before quickly pressing on, continuing.

"_There are prophecies of him… who he is… who he will become_".

Simba looked on blankly, not knowing what to say. Instead, he waited for Rafiki to continue with a nervous expression.

"_He can't stay here". _

**Present Day**

—

It wasn't easy for Simba to do, but at last, he had done as Rafiki told him. He had schemed day and night to figure out a way to tempt Kion out of the Pridelands, and was successful in the end. It hurt him deeply to have to say goodbye, but he was grateful to keep his kingdom in one piece while being able to visit Kion quite often.

Still, there was one more thing to worry about. Even if Kion was out of the Pridelands, Simba had dared not banish him. It was simply impossible for him to do without a real reason. Still, with one, it would be all the more impossible. Kion was his son, and he couldn't even think about expelling him from his life, despite ancient forecasts.

One truth, even in the present, rang in Simba's ears almost constantly. It was a truth that he despised acknowledging; one that caused his stomach to twist, and his breathing to become uneasy.

_Prophecies do not change. _

—_-_

"Ten sunsets" Kion groaned as he rolled over on the ground, the sun having risen above him. "Ten sunrises. And we still haven't found it".

His friends, known to many as the guard, wrestled to separate themselves from their sleepiness as they listened to him mumble. Kion had been complaining a lot the past few days, but it was for good reason. Simba had sent them on an endeavor that seemed all the more impossible as the days sauntered by: to locate "Kisiwa Cha Kesho" — a place he had described as the most desirable place on earth. Kisiwa Cha Kesho was a far off island in a lake larger than the guard had ever seen.

Kion was skeptical at first, due to the fact that Simba only knew of the island through word of mouth alone. Nonetheless, after constant begging and bribing, Kion and the guard set off to find the rumored island. The last few days hardly brought any fruit in terms of finding the location, but the group remained overall optimistic, despite frequent whining.

"Ten sunsets is a lot" Fuli stated dully. "But there's no reason to quit now… I mean, we've been looking long enough. Might as well complete the mission".

Kion sighed as he lifted himself to his paws, scanning the area with a yawn. His amber eyes adjusted to the light and searched for something, anything, that could give him a more stable hope of completing the guard's mission. He listened intently, for the gentle waves of a lake, the sound of water fowl, or anything else that may point to a nearby body of water. The sound of the creek nearby shot down any sort of possibility of finding the lake so easily.

_Nothing. _

_Nothing here. Just the slightly cool breeze, some falling leaves, some swaying trees… I need to stop rhyming. I sound like Rafiki._

Kion continued thinking to himself as the group gradually woke up, rubbing his eyes before turning back to face them. The group had stopped to rest after spending the past two days following the creek through the jungle, but Kion debated calling it quits, as the creek had taken them miles off course. He remained positive, for the most part, but also feared failure. He didn't want to disappoint his father, who seemed dead-set on eventually making it to this island of tomorrow.

"What are we gonna do about the creek?" Bunga asked sleepily.

Kion took a deep breath.

"I think that… we should retrace our steps and try East, and stop by the Pridelands on the way for a little break. I think we could all use one. Ono?"

The bird was immediately by his side, shaking his head to wake himself up completely.

"Yes, Kion?" he asked. Ono was quite reliable, along with being the keenest of sight. He was always there at a moment's notice, ready to fulfill any purpose, and help complete the objective at hand.

"Could you fly overhead and make sure we aren't near the end of the creek? If you can't see an end, we'll turn around".

"Of course!" the bird stated as he lifted himself off of the ground and into the air rather swiftly.

Kion looked down at the ground and then over at his friends once more, now awake and alert.

"Besthe, how do you sleep like that?" Fuli questioned the hippo.

"Like how?" Besthe replied worriedly. "Did I drool again?"

Fuli snorted, placing her paw on her comrade's shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"No, I just mean… you fall asleep like _instantly, _and you don't wake up until the sun's up. I'm jealous" she replied. "I'm awake at the smallest sound".

"Me too" Kion empathized. "I get woken up by Bunga's snoring _way _too often".

"_Hey!_" Bunga exclaimed, putting on a pouty face. "If I could choose not to snore, I wouldn't. But it isn't really a choice, is it?"

Kion chuckled, amused by his best friend's reaction to his comment. Recently, Bunga hadn't been quite as talkative and energetic as his usual self, but Kion was sure the trek had something to do with it. The honey badger was drained from the tiring journey; a sight Kion thought he'd never see. In fact, the young lion couldn't remember the last time he had seen Bunga so out of it.

"Just kidding, Bunga" Kion laughed. "Only a joke".

"Kion!" Ono spoke loudly as he landed on the dirt, sending waves of dust into the air. "No sign of a lake in front of us".

Kion felt halfway relieved. The guard could now return to the Pridelands even if it was only a temporary stay. He missed his home and his family even if it had only been a few days since they had left. There just didn't seem to be anywhere else quite like the great Pridelands.

"Well, I guess we're making a pitstop on our way east" Kion replied with a smile creeping across his lips. "But I don't want to prolong the mission if no one else is for it. What do you say? Should we stay at Pride Rock a couple of nights?"

"Sure!" Bunga exclaimed.

"Fine by me!" Besthe said.

"I'm all for it!" Ono stated.

"Sure" Fuli replied. "I don't see any harm in it".

Kion nodded and began walking the direction in which they had come the night before. He didn't worry for a moment that his parents would be upset to see him again; the guard hadn't yet found this oh-so-crucial island, but the mission was not nearly over yet. They would regather themselves, refocus, and achieve the ultimate goal: to locate Kisiwa Cha Kesho. His father would certainly be proud, and it would be an accolade to his future royal title.

Kion tripped as he began walking and ate a mouthful of dirt mixed with some type of vegetation. He spat it out and wiped his tongue with his paws in disgust as his friends laughed behind him, patting him on the back teasingly.

"I can see you've really fallen for the jungle, Kion" Besthe laughed.

"Well, I'm glad I'm not king of the Pridelands yet" Kion mumbled. "If anyone saw a king do _that _ they'd just… I dunno, exile me".

"I don't think a king can be exiled" Fuli pointed out. She placed her paw on her chin before continuing. "I mean, the king does the exiling, right?".

"Yeah, yeah" Kion spoke, chuckling at his predicament. He definitely knew how to laugh at himself in silly circumstances like this. "Another joke".

"One after the next" Bunga remarked. "You've taken my job, huh?"

Kion shrugged. He was beginning to feel quite excited to be back once again, and it made him feel rather goofy as they trekked along once more.

"Guess so".

As they began to tread once more, Besthe wiped a tear on his shoulder from all the amusement. It wasn't an easy feat to wipe tears from his eyes — it was "simple" tasks like this that made being a hippopotamus so different than many other animals. But Besthe didn't find himself crying unless it were from laughter anyway. His job was to be the strongest, and that meant holding it together for his friends and family even when times were cold. He had always been a fortress brought to life: a place for others to seek refuge, and a strong foundation.

Fuli halfway dreaded returning to the Pridelands. She had simply never felt at home there, like all the others seemed to. It was a land she could tolerate, but couldn't see it the way the lions did. Or the rest of the guard, for that matter. Still, she had convinced herself that, as long as she had the guard and her wits, there wasn't a place she couldn't make her own; at least a little. She was once someone that only was able to embrace life as a loner. There was something about it that brought her stability and relaxation. Now, she had come to feel as though her companions were only further stability. She was proud of herself for that.

As the group began moving faster through the brush, Ono sensed the presence of another whirling through the air above him. He knew that only one bird was capable of moving at such a blazing speed.

"I see you guys haven't had much luck" a voice spoke from above the group as they padded along.

The group glanced up at the sky and came face to face with their companion, Anga, who had just finished diving down from the clouds. Anga opted to go on her own way to cover the North to speed up the process back when the group originally left around ten days ago. She had a look written across her face that conveyed she had come up empty, as well as the fact that she was exhausted.

"Oh, uh… yeah, we haven't found anything yet. We're gonna head east and make a little stop at the Pridelands" Kion announced to the hawk.

"Not giving up this early, are we?" Anga asked, narrowing her eyes just a tad. She knew that Kion was never one to give up on any task, but she wanted to make sure his mentality was in order.

"No, no! Of course not. When does the lion guard ever give up?" Kion replied confidently as the group moved at a steady pace.

"What about that time Fuli bet that she could reach that little waterfall just past the waterhole before you? And you just kinda stopped running after a few seconds" Bunga pointed out. "Didn't you give up there?"

Kion gritted his teeth and shook his head.

"I mean, she's a cheetah. I don't even know why I'd make a bet that stupid… but that's beside the point! I'm talking about _actual _missions or rescue operations".

Fuli was busy laughing to herself recalling the day Bunga spoke of. Kion had suddenly received a surge of confidence after beating Kiara, his older sister and future queen of the Pridelands, in a race. When Fuli jokingly challenged him and he accepted… well, she just _couldn't_ pass up the opportunity.

"_Well then" Kiara said smugly. "If you're so fast, why don't you race Fuli?" _

"_Yeah Kion" Fuli giggled. "I bet my title on it. The fastest that the Pridelands has to offer". _

"_Sure, let's do it!" Kion said in response. "I may not be the fastest, but I can still win" he added, poking her teasingly in the side. _

_Kion was always up for a challenge, but what happened next was one of Fuli's favorite moments to date. _

"Sorry Kion" Besthe said, "but that was one of the funniest things I've ever seen".

Kion snorted, before finally laughing to himself. It was pretty funny to think about in retrospect. There had never been a bigger slaughter in all of Africa than the legendary Fuli vs Kion race.

"_Anyways_" Kion started, "we're just gonna stop by the Pridelands for a night or two. Sound good?"

Anga nodded in affirmation. She could use some rest after her searching; her wings felt as if they could fall off at any moment, to be truthful. The hawk hovered lower until she was just above the ground, looking over at Besthe as they walked along the path they created earlier on their way westward.

"Besthe, is it okay if I ride on your back for a while? I'm going to drop out of the sky if I keep flying for too much longer".

"Sure Anga" he said in response, offering his back as support. "I'm the strongest for a reason".

"Hey!" she said, landing in his back. "Are you trying to say I'm a heavy load?"

Besthe blushed as he scrambled to find the words to make up for his statement that could easily be perceived as an insult.

"I'm just messing with you Bunga" Anga snickered, noticing Besthe's struggle.

"Oh yeah, I knew that. I definitely knew".

—

**Many Sunrises Ago…**

"Kisiwa Cha Kesho" Simba said for what felt to Nala like the six-thousandth time in the past ten minutes. "Kisiwa Cha Kesho, Kisiwa Cha Kesho".

"I get it, Simba" she replied with a giggle.

The two of them were walking along the borders of the Pridelands as the sun began to set just over the horizon. These were peaceful times in the Pridelands — the biggest daily concern was Scar's unpredictable nature more than anything. There was a universal peace that enveloped the extended vicinity, and the great King Mufasa was praised by most for his keen leadership.

However, earlier that day, Mufasa had made a hefty mistake; he had described a great land to his young son; an island surrounded by a lake larger than any they had ever seen. The island was home to great treasures, lions of legend, and anything that anyone could ever want, essentially.

Simba, thought it sounded stupid, yet too intriguing to pass off as a lie. The possibility of such a place kept him dreaming.

"If it's not real, what do we have to lose Nala?" Simba questioned, submerged in wonder. "And if it is real… we gain like, _everything_".

Nala rolled her eyes but couldn't help a grin. He was right, but was forgetting to mention a few crucial details.

"I know we don't usually listen to anything our parents say, but I'll tell you what we have to lose: oh, I don't know. We could _die_. Scratch that. We _would _die!"

Simba scoffed as the two padded along. His bold amber eyes remained undeterred, and at this point, there's little that one could do to change his mind.

"Now what kind of mentality is that, Nal'? When have we ever been scared of dying?"

"There's a difference between doing somewhere where we _might die_… like climbing up to the top of that gigantic tree near Rafiki's tree. _Might die_. Right? There's a difference between that and doing something where we're basically screaming 'someone kill us!'".

Simba looked on, unaffected by Nala's words.

"Simba, I'm not scared of doing most things… especially if you're by my side… but that's a deathwish".

Simba took a deep breath and stopped walking, glancing towards the edge of the Pridelands. The breeze gently drifted through the pairs' fur as they stared off in the distance at the setting sun, the unknown calling out to them. It truly was a fatal flaw: curiosity, that is. Nala had a feeling that the curiosity shared between the two of them may, in the long run, end in their collective demise. Still, it was a part of who they were. There was simply no severing it.

"Yeah" Simba said.

"_Yeah?!" _Nala asked herself in her head. _"That's all? I really wanna punch him sometimes"._

Nala waited for something more than a "yeah" before she spoke again.

"You wouldn't do it alone, Simba. Right?" Nala asked cautiously.

Simba shook his head, glancing over at her and into her sapphire eyes; the eyes he had become so deeply acquainted with.

"No, duh" he replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm not actually gonna go looking for some dumb island that probably doesn't exist. I was just kidding".

Nala sighed. She was still worried that he may try to run off and find it himself if she were to insist on not going. And if anything were to happen to him, well… she wouldn't be the same. In fact, she doubted that she'd ever be able to truly enjoy life ever again. He just meant that much to her.

"I hope so" Nala muttered. "But I get the feeling that you're never gonna stop thinking about it until you know for sure".

"Why do you get that feeling?" Simba asked her with a quizzical expression.

"Because you're Simba, that's why" she retorted with knowing eyes, accompanied by a smug smirk.

"Fair enough. But, if it means anything, I wouldn't leave you behind" Simba replied, the pair beginning to walk. "If I was gonna do it, I'd just bug you all day to go with me until you said yes".

"Which would never happen" Nala countered.

"You've said that before".

"I mean it this time".

"I don't think you do".

"I do".

"Don't".

"Do".

"Ya don't".

"I do".

"Don't".

Nala groaned as she began walking faster, pretending to leave him in the dust. She couldn't help but admire his stubbornness for one reason and one reason only: they were one and the same in that regard. It wasn't always about the same things, but they both were very headstrong in their own ways.

"Hey, hey!" Simba exclaimed, catching up to her once again. "Fine, I won't talk about it anymore".

"Good" Nala said.

"But just think…"

Nala laughed to herself, knowing that he wasn't finished. He was a cub of endless imagination, and she often watched it eat him alive.

"What's out there that we're missing? Not just Kisiwa Cha Kesho, I mean… _everything_? I wish we could just walk until we reach the end of the world, just so… there's nothing we could miss".

"Oh, I'd love nothing more" Nala remarked with an expression of wanderlust. She did love adventure more than anything in the world. Well, except for her friends and family, which were the same things keeping her bound to the Pridelands, in all honesty. "Maybe later on, but not now, Simba. We're still cubs, and there's monsters and stuff out there. You've heard Rafiki and your dad".

"We are _not _cubs!" Simba declared with a pouty expression. "My mane is starting to come in! See!"

Nala looked to the top of Simba's head, but only saw a small tuft of red fur that had recently spawned in the past few weeks.

"That's a far cry from a mane, Simba" she said flatly.

"And monsters? Do you really believe that?" Simba questioned incredulously, returning his head to an upright position. "I mean, I don't think you're crazy. Rafiki doesn't usually lie… but… even if there are monsters, we could take em'! Don't you think?"

Nala didn't say anything for a moment, simply smiling over at him with a glint of amusement in her gaze.

"It's not about that" she spoke. "It's about leaving everything behind, and I can't do that right now. Life will still be an adventure every day, don't worry".

Simba nodded, knowing that his best friend was right. They were in a position in which wandering off to the ends of the earth just wasn't practical.

"_But one day" _Simba thought to himself. "_One day". _

**Present Day **

Seven sunrises had passed. The guard had moved in a beeline for the Pridelands, which shortened their journey from their former path. Kion and the others had maintained a good morale overall on the journey back. It had gone without issues, apart from a few isolated incidents: namely Bunga knocking Fuli unconscious with a tree fruit. A bit further down the line, Ono fell asleep while flying and flew straight into a tree. Neither were severely injured, and were able to laugh about each respective event only minutes later. Well, _after _Fuli yelled at Bunga for a while.

"At last! At long last!" Bunga yelled at the top of his lungs as the group reached what they recognized as the Outlands that border the Pridelands. "I have to say, it was fun and all, but I'm glad to be back!"

"We still need to get through the Outlands, and this is Janja's territory. Everyone keep their guard up!" Kion announced, before Bunga began snickering to himself.

"_Guard_ up, get it? Because _we're _the guard" Bunga snickered. "Good one Kion".

"Anga, Ono, you guys wanna fly overhead and see if the path is clear?" Kion asked.

"Sure thing" Anga replied, lifting herself off the ground and into the sky, moving faster than Ono could even register.

"Sometimes I wish I could fly like that" Ono remarked, before zooming into the sky himself, at half the speed.

The rest of the guard watched as they disappeared over the rock formations before them, and behind the cliffside.

"How did the lion guards of the past get by without birds?" Fuli asked. "Imagine how many situations we'd have to go into blindly without Ono and Anga".

"Right" Kion stated. "We shouldn't ever take it for granted. It's just something else that makes the guard so strong".

"I'm glad you didn't just choose lions for the guard, Kion" Bunga exclaimed. "I mean, obviously most of us wouldn't be on the team, which would suck. But I think this team _really_ combined the best of the Pridelands. Ono's way better at his job than a lion could ever be".

"He's definitely more effective" Fuli agreed with the honey badger.

"Ono's great" Kion added, but was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"Well, what've we got here?" the menacing voice of Janja interrogated Kion as the lion whirled around to face him, along with the rest of the group. Weirdly enough, the hyena was all alone. His usual clan of hyenas was nowhere to be seen, which indicated a trap to Kion and the guard.

"Janja!" Kion spoke loudly. "We don't want any trouble, we're just headed back to the Pridelands! We've been out looking… for something. But that's none of your concern".

Janja grumbled to himself before speaking again, appearing unafraid of the guard.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" the hyena scoffed. "What's your game, Kion?"

"To… return to the Pridelands…" Kion stated again earnestly, glancing from side to side cautiously. "Like I said, we don't want any trouble. Seeing as you're all alone I don't think you'd want any either".

"You're right" the hyena muttered. "I'm not gonna try anything. I was just passing by when I heard voices. I don't have an army like you do".

Kion nodded, taking in the hyenas words, but not trusting them even a bit. Janja had tried similar tricks in the past, so Kion fully expected several killer hyenas to jump out from behind the rocks at any moment, ready to lay waste to the guard or anyone affiliated.

"Good to hear" Kion said in a steady voice.

"But next time, I'm not gonna be alone" Janja stated. "Don't think I'm being friendly or nothin'".

"Gotcha Janja. See you next time then, we'll be ready" Kion retorted without skipping a beat.

The hyena grumbled to himself as he continued marching in another direction, disappearing into the rocky terrain and shadows that enveloped the gorge.

"That was weird" Fuli stated dully. "I was expecting some action".

"Me too" Besthe said in a shocked tone.

"We _needed _a fight after all this boring walking! Why couldn't he have tried something stupid so we could kick his tail?" Bunga cried, appearing disappointed.

"We shouldn't go looking for fights, Bunga. That's not what bravery is. Remember what my dad said?" Kion asked his friend.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember" Bunga sighed. "Just gets boring, all this traveling. But, we'll be back soon, so I can't complain too much".

Kion had a small smile etched across his lips as he looked up at the sky, awaiting the return of Ono and Anga, while remaining conscious of any plan Janja may have enacted to let their guard down.

"You're right, we'll be home soon".

Meanwhile, as Ono flew overhead, he spotted something along the side of the rocky ravine that caught his attention. He brought himself to a lower altitude before focusing on the object, trying to keep enough distance to be discreet. The closer and closer he got, the more confused he felt. For a moment, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

When he was finally able to, it was a feeling of terror that overwhelmed him. A sickening blow hit him square in the chest, creating emotions he had never felt before in his life, sending chills down his body and through the tips of his wings.

"Hapana…"

**Ah, a cliffhanger. I had to do it to 'em, my highest apologies. Leave your thoughts in the reviews, follow, favorite, whatever you want to do. You know the drill. Until next time! **


	2. Chapter 2

** guest— Thank you, I'm glad to hear it! **

** guest2– I wouldn't think wrestling would involved punches being thrown, but who knows, haha. I think when Nala says **_**punch **_**here, she means with a little more brute force :P.**

**Hello all, and welcome back for chapter two! Some quick disclaimers: **

**Kiara and Kovu have met at this point, although Kovu is still under Zira's rigid rule. He sneaks to and fro between the Outlands and the Pridelands in order to see Kiara from time to time. **

**I'm pretty sure that Tojo, Tama, etc. are canonically cubs during Mufasa's rule (around the time that Simba is a cub). However, I included them in the later timeline (Kion/TLG story). I hope you'll all come to understand this decision later on! **

**With that being said, I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter of **_**The Island of Tomorrow! **_**(Please leave any thoughts you may have in the reviews!)**

* * *

It took slightly longer than Kion thought it would, but surely enough, the two birds rejoined them. However, he noticed that both of them appeared clearly distressed, but struggled to catch their breath so that they could describe what they witnessed. The guard gathered around them, waiting for them to spill the news, eager to know just what has them so shaken.

"We…" Ono choked. "Gotta move. Now!"

"We need to get out of here" Anga added with wide eyes, glancing around hurriedly.

"Whoa, whoa!" Fuli exclaimed, ushering the two of them to calm down. "Stay clam! What did you guys see?!" she asked seriously, but with a nurturing tone.

Kion looked on nervously, as he had never seen either bird so terrified before. It was as if they had seen a ghost, or something far worse. It was a haunting sight in itself as he studied them; worse still, what lay behind the rocks may be even more of a horror.

"Well, well… I saw something along the side of the gorge" Ono said, trying to steady his breathing. "And I got closer… it was a… a corpse… of a lion".

Kion was shocked, but still didn't understand why Ono and Anga were acting so shaken. They had come across corpses before in their time in the guard, and he had never seen such a reaction from them or anyone else in the group.

"But the closer I got, I realized… there were more. It… the body… it was kinda hanging out of a cave. I looked inside, and there were so many… so many".

"I saw it too" Anga affirmed Ono's words. "At least twenty, maybe more. All gored to death. Didn't look like we knew any of them… I'm not sure where they came from".

"All lions?" Kion asked in an appalled yet collected tone, trying to keep everyone cool. The last thing he wanted was the guard caving in with a threat this significant right around the corner.

"Yeah… it looked like it. I panicked, so I didn't get the best look" Ono managed to say.

"Looked like it to me too" Anga stated gravely, staring down at the ground. "I never thought I'd see something like that".

Bunga appeared bewildered as he stepped closer to the others, understanding the severity of the situation.

"What could have killed twenty lions?" the honey badger asked, not knowing if he wanted to receive an answer.

"I don't know" Fuli answered swiftly, "but I bet none of them had the roar". She was trying to keep their spirits stable and keep fear from overtaking their morale. Whatever it was that was out there was certainly daunting to say the least, but she doubted they could take on the lion guard.

Kion didn't know what to do. On one hand, they could confront the harrowing scene where the two birds had witnessed with boldness, and risk being mentally scarred; or worse, attacked by whatever created such carnage in the first place. On the other, they could get to the bottom of it and try and take down this lion-killer with their usual nonchalant demeanor. He weighed the options carefully in his head, trying his best to ignore the rising commotion around him. What would his father do? What would his grandfather Mufasa do?

After a few moments, he decided it would be safer to report the situation to his father once they reach the Pridelands.

"Everyone, I think we should focus on getting back to the Pridelands" Kion announced to the group. "We can get all the backup we need to take down… whoever this lion-killer is. Is everyone okay with that?"

The group looked around at each other, Ono finally having caught his breath.

"Good idea" Fuli replied, looking to the others. "Does anyone oppose?"

No one said a thing. Not even Bunga, who usually had a chipper remark for every situation. In this scenario, he stood like a zombie, his line of sight burrowing into the rocks before him, his mouth slightly open. The bravest in the Pridelands appeared frightened, but only for just a moment.

"We could definitely take 'em Kion" Bunga stated, wiping the look of fear off his face. "But if you feel like that's the right thing to do, I'm right behind ya".

"Good" Kion spoke solemnly, looking over to Ono and Anga. "Was this on the main path? The one we usually take?"

"Negative" Ono responded. "It was a fair ways from the usual path".

"Alright, let's move then. We need to get back home as soon as we can".

The group marched onwards, attempting to remain stoic despite the grisly sight that remained stuck in Ono and Anga's heads. The Outlands had always been a place that had the guard on edge, but never to this extent. Feeling the weight of the sullenness around them, Bunga attempted to lighten the mood, as he did so often. His dark chocolate eyes began to glimmer as ideas whirled through his head that was often full of mischief. He was confident he could find a way to lift the mood.

"I'm ready to see everyone again" Bunga said loud enough for everyone to hear him. "Especially Rafiki. It's felt like _years _since I've seen him".

"It's definitely felt like a while since we left" Besthe pointed out. "I miss everyone too".

"It's just confusing to me" Fuli admitted. "Like, I know I've said this before, but why did Simba insist all of us go to look for this island? The guard is supposed to protect the Pridelands, and we haven't been around to do that".

Kion was also confused by this, and considered his father's explanation to be quite poor. Simba had told him that in order to find this island, it would take the combined efforts of the guard. When Kion voiced his concerns about the Pridelands lacking protection during the time period that they're gone, Simba simply stated that the Pridelands would be safe with the royal family, along with the rest of the lions. He didn't have any other choice but to trust his father and proceed with the search.

Simba did state, however, that the island was close. Close enough to reach in a matter of days, which left Kion to wonder why his father or mother had not pursued the island before. After all, they made it sound as if it were the most desirable land in all of Africa. Even if it is only a matter of days away, going west was obviously not the right move.

There were a lot of questions he hoped would soon be answered by his parents, Rafiki, or anyone, really. He just wanted to understand the purpose and the reasoning behind this whole "island of tomorrow", and why his father felt it was suddenly necessary to locate it.

"I don't understand either, Fuli" Kion concurred. "But maybe we'll find out a thing or two when we're back".

"Yep" Bunga replied brightly. "There's gotta be a reason for all this, we'll figure it out eventually".

It wasn't too much longer before the group was edging towards the reaches of the Pridelands. The rocky terrain plagued with shadows was now behind them, and the atmosphere was beginning to feel less gloomy after the encounter in the Outlands. Signs of life began to surround them as the foliage beneath became increasingly green; trees began to enter their field of view, a small kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering by. Their home wasn't simply a place: it was something that one had to feel. It was something one was connected to, and one that has to be experienced.

Kion took a deep breath and let the memories overtake him, filling his mind with projections of moments scattered across time; the time he had spent here, becoming one with not only this land, but the circle of life.

There was just so much to remember, like the Great King's celebration not too long ago. The entirety of the Pridelands was invited, and small offerings were made to the Great Kings of the past. A feast was then served with a variety of cuisines for each respective species that attended. There was something for everyone; even though Kion admitted it was a bit awkward having the lions eat various meats right beside the zebras, dining in vegetation. He simply hoped to the stars that none of the meat being consumed was in fact zebra.

The rest of the celebration was special in itself. Nearly all of the Pridelands gathered in front of Pride Rock and together watched the sun set over the horizon, thankful that they lived in a land so abundant that they would never need to venture beyond the sun. Some animals would sing together of the circle of life, their home, or whatever they felt compelled to serenade. Others would simply talk together, the cubs and other young animals would play amongst each other, and the atmosphere was one of complete harmony.

It was an image that Kion often had in the back of his mind. The most recent Great King's celebration was one that meant so much to him — it was something he'd never forget. He had perhaps never been happier in his life than in the moment he was surrounded by the animals of the Pridelands, his friends and his family, all in a time of great serenity. He was hoping to feel that serenity again, even if it is only for a few days.

"Well, we made it here. Safe" Anga spoke as they approached the waterhole, sounding surprised at the fact. Pride Rock was beginning to come into view as their pace quickened just a bit. There was the lush scenery, boulders spread out with perfect placement. There was the waterhole, a location in which animals that often shared animosity came together in peace. A sky of blue highlighted the world around them, making them feel as though there was nowhere they'd rather be. The Pridelands sure were beautiful.

"Well, it 'twas quite the journey" Bunga exclaimed, pondering back on the past couple of weeks. "And I mean… it's not over. We need to handle that while thing back there" he said, thinking back to the scene described by Ono and Anga. "But I'm glad we're back in the Pridelands, alive and well".

"You said it" Kion agreed, having gained a new appreciation for life. They had reached safety at last, and Kion couldn't wait to obtain the proper backup to take on whatever was roaming the Outlands.

The group came across some of the other lion cubs playing around the waterhole in a blissful state. In a way, Kion envied their cubhood; one without responsibility, or a job that was pivotal in maintaining balance across the Pridelands. At the same time, however, he embraced being in a position of such importance. He felt as though he and the rest of the guard were the optimal combination to provide protection to those around him. Thus, it was enough to justify the daily stresses.

"Hey! Kion's finally back!" a lion cub with slightly darker fur and teal blue eyes said loudly, attracting the attention of the other cubs.

"Oh, hey Tojo" Kion spoke in a friendly tone. "Zuri, Tiifu, Kovu, good to see you guys too! And Kiara…"

He turned to his sister as she stopped in front of him, seeming surprised to see him home so soon, which confused him. It had been weeks, after all. _Weird. _

"Kion!" she exclaimed, embracing her brother with enthusiasm. "It's been too long! Did you find the island?"

Kion sighed, his amber eyes unable to hold any lies. He knew the guard's lack of initial success was nothing to be proud of, but he never was one to withhold information; especially to, as much as it pained him to say, the future queen.

"Nothing yet. We searched North and West, and haven't covered the East yet. We figured we'd stop here for a couple of days to rest before we keep going" he established.

"I see" Kiara replied with an expression that was difficult to read.

"I need to talk to dad though. I think there's something bad… _really _bad going on in the Outlands".

Kiara appeared concerned, widening her eyes a little bit as she stepped a bit closer. It seemed to Kion and the others that she might already know of some sort of looming danger.

"What are you talking about?" she asked curiously. "There's always something bad going on in the Outlands".

Kion doubled down on his concerns passionately.

"I mean _very _wrong… something I've never seen before until now. I'm gonna talk to dad and see if we can handle this".

"Oh, what is it? If you don't mind me asking" Kiara insisted, appearing more and more worried about what the guard may have confronted.

"Come with me to dad and we can all talk it over. It's something you need to know" Kion stated before glancing over at Kovu, one of Kiara's best friends that she had made rather recently, from none other than the Outlands.

"Kovu, are you supposed to be in the Pridelands?" he questioned the adolescent lion, who appeared rather shaken by Kion's tone. It wasn't a tone of tyranny, wrath, or anything of the sort. Kion simply spoke in a very clear, fierce voice, true to his title.

"Your dad said I could… I mean, he said I was allowed to cross the border to see your sister once in a while. So… I'm just here for today" he added, trying to find the correct words to convey his current predicament. "Your sister would kick me out if I wasn't allowed to" he added with a chuckle.

Kion gazed over at Kiara with doubtful eyes, knowing that she felt a very special sort of way about Kovu. He found it unlikely that she'd ever vilify him, much less expel him from the Pridelands.

"Alright then" Kion responded. "We'll be back soon. For now, the guard and Kiara need to come with me to talk with my father for a second".

"Sounds good" Kiara replied, turning back to the rest of the cubs. "We'll be back soon, this is important".

The group walked with haste to the landmark the pride had called their home for so long. As Kion so often remembered, their identity had become merged with it. They were hardly the pride he had come to know without their centerpiece: their cornerstone. They moved swiftly through the tall grass, over stray rocks and fallen tree trunks, and finally reached the base of the rock formation. Kion and the others stared up at the iconic location and all its glory, the sun beginning to set behind it. The feeling that they were home zoomed through their bones, lifting their spirits as they began the climb up to the den, where Kiara said Simba would be waiting.

Something seemed off about Kiara, though. Maybe she had heard the news of the lion-killer of the Outlands as well, and was just scared to spill it to the guard. Maybe she thought they'd be too scared to continue their current mission, and have to admit failure. Kion knew it would be quite a dilemma for Kiara. Maybe, more likely yet, she is simply tired, or taken aback by the guard's return after so long. Maybe she had been out in the heat too long today.

_Who knew?_

The group crested the top of the hill leading up to the den and approached the entrance, where they found a restless Simba, eyes bloodshot, his face stricken with grief, nightmares, guilt, anguish and misery…

_Or perhaps it was simply lack of sleep._

"Uh, dad?" Kiara asked gently, her voice bouncing around the walls of the cave.

Simba didn't say anything in response. He simply groaned as he continued staring at the wall, digging his claws anxiously into the stone ground before him. Kion was confused, as this was not at all the usual body language that his father carried.

"Kion's back!" Kiara exclaimed, and Simba's head popped up, his eyes making a beeline for Kion. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"_Kion?" he asked himself as he was hit with a hurricane of relief, as well as a tornado of horror. "He's back? This is impossible. How?"_

"You're finally back!" Simba exclaimed, rising to his paws immediately. Strangely enough, he took a moment to catch his balance, which was yet another strange moment for Kion. His father was a very healthy lion, and hardly ever appeared lethargic in any way.

"_Today must've been a tough day for him" Kion figured._

The adult lion embraced his son and greeted the remainder of the guard, brushing the sleep out of his eyes and into the ground.

"It's good to be back, dad!" Kion said with a grin. "But we aren't done yet. We've covered west and north, and are on our way east to keep the search going. We haven't… well, we haven't exactly found anything yet, but we're not giving up".

"Good to hear, son! Good thing you chose to stop by on the way, we're due for a big dinner tomorrow! Oh, and-"

"Dad" Kion interrupted, stopping his father in his tracks. "There's something we need to talk about first".

Instantly Simba's eyes became filled with uneasiness. His shoulders became stiff, his claws digging into the stone beneath them ever so slightly. It was as if Kion had hit a nerve by letting loose such an ever-so-ambiguous statement. His tone became slightly shaky as the king spoke again.

"What is is, my son? Did something happen?"

Kion took a moment to think to himself about just how to word the events of the past day.

"Well, it's been a few weeks. A lot has happened. But I saw something… well, two of us did… in the Outlands. There's a serious problem out there. Something… someone… well, they killed a bunch of lions. Not just a bunch. Twenty, maybe more. They were stuffed in a cave in the Outlands, overflowing out…"

Kion studied the growing look of horror on his father's face as he spoke. He knew that the situation was a grim one, but if anyone could help to solve this hefty problem, it was his father, the king.

"And it wasn't far from here. Just outside the Pridelands, really… we need the help of the Pridelands for this" Kion finished.

"You sure do" Simba said in a sickened, incredulous tone. "That sounds awful. I hate to ask this question, but… were there any bodies you recognized?"

Kion turned to Ono and Anga for a response, as he never witnessed this scene of slaughter directly.

"I couldn't identify any of them" Ono stated.

"Same with me" Anga confirmed. "But I could tell that a lot of them had darker fur". Despite her initial nausea upon stumbling upon the revolting scene, she took her time to study the visible corpses for a few moments, and noticed through her blinding fits of shock that most of the lions in the cave were of a darker fur color.

"Mufasa above" Simba stated breathlessly, looking absolutely crushed by what was being said. "It couldn't have been…"

Simba trailed off, leaving the guard and Kiara enveloped in mystery.

_I told him to make sure no one makes it in. Not to kill anyone! This can't be happening…_

Simba wrestled his thoughts away, attempting to put on a stable face for the time being. For the sake of his son, if only for the next few hours, he had to hold it together.

"We… will head down to the Outlands tomorrow and fix this. No sort of brutality like this can coexist with the circle of life" Simba declared, slamming his closed paw down on the rock in front of him, his eyes scrunched with a righteous rage. He looked over to Ono and Anga before continuing. "Are you two the only ones who witnessed this?"

"Affirmative" Ono replies grimly. "We'll get you all there tomorrow, no problem".

Simba nodded, still appearing rather timid. His golden eyes looked to the sky with great joy, accompanied by a new pain. His son has returned to him, at least for this one last time. As he attempted to shift his attention to the shocking return of his son, he did recall seven words spoken by Rafiki around two weeks earlier. Seven words that left Simba feeling helpless and… dare he admit it, _scared. _

_The Guardian plays by his own rules._

* * *

**Two Hours Later...**

Kion caught his breath with a smile across his lips, feeling as if he were glowing as he and his friends played their ever-so-competitive game of tag around the waterhole. It was a past-time he would never be willing to give up; a ritual that defined his early cubhood, as well as many, many others. It helped to take his mind off of the cold-nature of the whole Outlands situations, and helped him refocus on the objective at hand. More than anything, it was a much needed relief from responsibility.

Their game of tag was slightly different than the one they were taught. Instead of just one being the pursuer, the responsibility of "tagging" spread like the plague, until there was only one left with the entirety of everyone else against them. Once it was down to just one, it was nearly impossible to stay in for longer than a few seconds. Now, Fuli and Kion were the last two alive in the game. The entirety of Bunga, Besthe, Ono and Anga (who was not allowed to fly, of course), Kiara, Kovu, Tojo, Zuri and Tiifu. It was a lot to go up against, of course, but Kion and Fuli were quite confident. There were some within the group to be revered in the game of tag, while others were somewhat useless, like Tiifu and Zuri.

At this point, Bunga was the only one in sight for the two felines on the run from the rest, which brought a feeling of temporary relief to the two of them.

"He's never gonna catch us" Fuli laughed to Kion as the two of them watched gleefully from behind a sizable boulder. Bunga struggled to even locate a trace of their whereabouts, causing him evident frustration. Bunga sat in a large rock, holding his head in his paws, struggling to think. Behind their collective bravado, however, the two were nervous. While Bunga was quite competitive in nature, he wasn't the fastest or most nimble by any means. Still, oftentimes, the honey badger would find a way.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Kion asked, having taken his eyes off the badger for less than a few seconds.

"Oh… uhm… I looked away for just a second, _maybe_ a second..." Fuli emphasized. This was the mistake the guard or other cubs of the Pridelands would often make when Bunga was _it. _If you took your eyes off of him or let your guard down, you'd often find yourself in the position of the prey, with the predator being the young honey badger himself. Everyone within the guard had their gifts; their way of doing things. Bunga's was… well, finding an unexpected way.

"Zuka Zama!" Bunga yelled as he appeared over the rock Kion and Fuli were hiding behind, smirking as he tagged the two of them at once. "And that's _game!_"

"Wha-" Kion exclaimed, shocked. The honey badger had seemingly teleported from one place to the other.

"How?!" Fuli asked, mystified. "You were just over there!"

"Well, I'd like to introduce you to my friend,

Besthe. You see, that boulder I was sitting on…"

"It wasn't a boulder at all" Kion realized aloud, covering his face with his paw. "How could we not have realized?"

"Yep! And you know how strong Besthe is… he can launch a little ole' honey badger like me pretty far, huh?" Bunga said in a cocky tone, elbowing Kion's shoulder playfully. "Good games to you guys!"

"Nice landing, Bunga!" Besthe called from afar as he approached. "Guys, we got 'em" he called to the rest of the tag team, who came from various directions, cheering.

Kion and Fuli chuckled about the ending to them game. Bunga sure acted like an impulsive presence driven by blind judgement at times, but he _did _have more than a few clever tricks he could think up at a moment's notice.

Once the group had rejoined by the water hole, the group relaxed and talked amongst one another. While they were the most formidable team in all of the Pridelands and the immediate vicinity, they did _love _to have fun.

"So, Kion" Tojo spoke somewhat sheepishly in the direction of the leader of the lion guard.

"Yeah, Tojo?" Kion replied.

Tojo appeared troubled, but only for a moment before he spoke his mind.

"I really, really love adventure. And you see… I love the Pridelands also, but I… I want to get out there. I want to do what _you guys _do. I know I'm not part of the guard, but…"

Kion looked on, waiting for the lion to continue.

"This whole Kisiwa Cha Kesho thing… can I join all of you?"

Kion took a moment to think over Tojo's request. He was one of Kion's better friends from over the years, and he knew Tojo's intentions are usually good and just. At the same time, he felt that this was a mission for the guard to complete. Perhaps… perhaps additional company would not hurt. Then again, this would only increase the need for resources while on their journey. Was his company worth this? Kion didn't want to have to weigh Tojo by his worth. It just didn't seem right.

"Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with it" he smiled. "As long as it's okay with my dad. We could use an extra hand".

"Awesome!" Tojo exclaimed, "but, uhmm… Kion?"

"What's wrong?" Kion asked his friend.

"Your dad… he can't know".

Kion was once again taken aback. It wasn't centered around anything about Tojo per se; his confusion revolved more around his father. It seemed to him that not only had his own perception of his father been strange, but others as well.

"I don't think he would mind, Tojo" Kion replied, curious to figure out just why he feared his father knowing. "I'd be more worried about what your mom has to say about it".

"Well…" Tojo fumbled, scratching his head. "Let's just say… your dad hasn't been himself lately. I don't think you… you've seen it, exactly".

"How do you mean?" Kion wondered, eyes wide.

"Well, he's-"

"He's just been exhausted… and worried about you guys" Kiara said, suddenly jumping into the conversation. "He may not let him go because it'd just be even _more _to worry about. Plus, like you said, his mom being okay with it? It'd look to her like he's jumping straight into a volcano".

Kion's eyes shifted to his sister, along with Kovu, who stood at her side.

"That's true. Tojo, if you can get your mom on board with it, I'm fine with it. My dad… well, he shouldn't really care-"

"But he does" Kiara interrupted once more.

"_Kiara_" Kion grunted. "Let me finish, please. I know dad, and I don't think he'd care as long as his mom is okay with it".

Kiara sighed, refusing to release all of the details; even those important to the conversation at hand. She knew that it just wasn't the time to go into detail about their father's behavior… she feared there may never come a time.

"Just talk to him before. Please" Kiara mumbled. "Like I said, he hasn't been himself. I'm gonna go say bye to Kovu down by border. Do you want to come too?"

She figured this may be her only chance to speak privately with Kion about their father.

"I'm gonna stay here. I haven't seen Tojo in a while" Kion decided. "Zuri and Tiifu too. I'll see you later, Kovu!"

Kiara frowned with subtlety, cursing herself for not being more direct with her brother. She _needed _to talk with him about their father. About everything that was beginning to unfold…

"Okay" she replied, turning her eyes back to Kovu. "I'll see you later then.

"_Just command that he come with you. You're the future queen after all! No. It's Kion, he's as headstrong as you are. There's no point. You'll find time to talk to him. Maybe tomorrow? Yeah, that'll have to work. And if he's gone soon? You're gonna have to say something tonight. Just something. Anything. He needs to know what he needs to do to fix everything"._

* * *

**Some Time Later...**

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Where days prior had drained through an emaciated hourglass, the evening, for Kion, with his friends, felt like no time at all. And that certainly wasn't a bad thing.

He wished he could stay here with his family and friends forever, and go back to the way it was only weeks ago. Rising by the sun's timing, diligently protecting his homeland along with some of his closest pals; it didn't leave too much to be desired, aside from some days he craved a less chief role, and longed for a more carefree ambiance.

Still, he knew that there was something happening around him, even at that very moment. Whether it be outside the Pridelands, in the Pridelands, or even within his family, something was unfolding before his blind eyes, and he knew it required his full attention. He, along with the guard, would be there to face whatever challenges attempted to submerge them.

As Kion lay down to sleep for the night in his usual old sleeping spot, he saw a blur approaching

him from his right. His eyes shifted as fast as lightning towards the figure, and he found a familiar form closing in on him.

Kiara.

"Kiara?" Kion asked tiredly. "Is something wrong?".

He instantly recognized a look on Kiara's face that he couldn't quite pin down. It was like fear, hope, urgency and pleading all merged into one; it told him that Kiara was very, very serious.

"Kion".

The lion stared blankly at his sister, waiting for her to continue. She looked at him with a deep caring that existed between family — a caring that carried trust, and connected souls through bonds of blood. She nuzzled gently against his neck, almost as is she were silently wishing him a farewell.

"You _need _to find the island. Please".

Her whisper cut through the still air and around the sleeping pack of lions.

"We… we will. Don't worry".

Kiara simply nodded with a half-hearted smile, turning away quickly to return to her usual sleeping spot. A drowsy Kion could not have been left more confused. He rarely saw his father in the state he was in earlier that day… now Kiara? His high and mighty sister, destined for royalty… deeply shaken, uprooted? Nothing quite made sense in that moment. Maybe, just maybe…

There wasn't just something wrong in the Outlands. Or the Pridelands. Maybe the problem was something even _bigger. _

Kion shook his head and repressed any thoughts for the time being. It was time for rest. If he couldn't rest now, at his home, when would he?

_I'll just ask her about it in the morning.  
_

* * *

**This is all beginning to feel very strange, isn't it? Just what is going on? Only one way to find out…**

**I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Until next time! **


	3. Chapter 3

**everyone in the reviews—- thank you, and I'm glad you like the direction that the story is headed. I feel like it only goes up from here, and I'm very excited to keep it going!**

**Welcome back for yet another chapter of _The Island of Tomorrow! _I'm not gonna drag this on, so enjoy the new chapter! I'll try to continue updating quite often.**

* * *

**Many Sunrises Ago…**

The sun had nearly reached its usual perch in the sky over the Pridelands. Most animals in the Pridelands had risen from their slumber to take on the day head on, that is, except the sleepy Nala. It wasn't uncommon to see her sleep until nearly lunchtime, and this… well, this was one of those days.

Meanwhile, Simba, surging with energy, entered the den, spotting Nala, still asleep. He quickly skipped over to her and sat down beside her, tickling her nose with his tail, which caused her to let out a sizable sneeze.

"Simba!" she exclaimed, still half-asleep. She sniffed, shaking her head with a scoff that tried to provide cover for her imminent giggles.

"Good morning to you too. Guess what?" he asked her nonchalantly.

"What?" Nala nearly whispered, stretching her back as she procrastinated moving into a standing position as long as she possibly could.

"I'm going tomorrow".

"_What_?" Nala asked groggily, rubbing her eyes vigorously with her paws. "You're going where?!"

Simba put on a bold face, narrowing his eyes.

"I think you know" he answered with a smirk, turning to face the Outlands. "Why are you still asleep? It's almost lunchtime!"

"Never mind why I'm asleep! You're actually going?! You said you wouldn't without me!" Nala exclaimed hotly, rising to her paws. Trying to withhold her serious demeanor, she tripped and nearly fell from dizziness. Simba tried his best not to let loose a giggle.

"I'm not, silly" he replied. "But I know you want to".

"Why would you think that?" she asked defensively, knowing she had been vocal in her opinion on the matter. "I've been against it ever since you mentioned it a few days ago!"

Simba laughed, remembering a callback from that exact day.

"Because you're Nala" he retorted with a grin, nudging Nala teasingly. He really did make her want to melt sometimes; whether it be from his embarrassing acts of stupidity, or just how lovable he was.

"You make a fair point" Nala responded, returning his smile, "But I'm still not going".

Simba rolled his eyes before falling onto his back, his legs in the air above him, a pouty expression across his usually smug face.

"I'm gonna start crying until you say you're going".

"Please don't" Nala stated dully with a bored look. "You know that never works".

"Yeah, but what choice do I have?" the young cub asked in a pitiful tone. "My best friend won't accompany me on the greatest journey in _history_. And she claims to love adventure… how is this possible? Well folks, it's because of nothing more than… _fear_".

Nala rolled her shining blue eyes, falling down beside her friend.

"Simba, I already told you that in the proper conditions-"

"You mean tomorrow? With me? I like those conditions" Simba stated halfway under his breath.

"You know what I mean. We're still cubs, and, well, yeah… I'm a little scared to go that far off" she admitted sheepishly.

Simba was taken off-guard, as it wasn't often Nala admitted she was scared of something. She did say that proceeding with such an endeavor was a deathwish a few days earlier too. Since when did Nala start fearing death?

Knowing he may reach a dead end, Simba tried a different approach than the last time they had this very conversation. He took several seconds to think up something believable.

"My dad said we could go".

Nala suppressed a laugh at what was perhaps the worst lie of all time, staring over at him with a look that screamed "_are you serious?". _

"Uh, that didn't happen".

_Okay, maybe that wasn't a good lie. _

"Okay, okay, maybe not, but I think if he understood just what we're dealing with here-"

"He told you about it, didn't he?" Nala asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then he must know what we're dealing with".

Simba frowned, letting loose a deep breath from his nose as he shut his eyes

"Nala, _please_?" he essentially begged at this point, looking at her with the most pleading eyes he could manage. Simba just knew that if he could convince Nala, the two of them would embark on a legendary journey that would just go _perfectly_. In all their adventures throughout their lives, little had ever gone wrong from them. They had only been injured a handful of times, much less nearly killed. If they put their heads together, there was nothing that could stop them. Well, at least in Simba's mind.

"Simba" Nala groaned, tilting her head back before taking a deep breath. "Maybe. Final answer".

Simba practically leapt for joy, but had to be careful, as he didn't want anyone suspecting anything. He had to, for once, be subtle about something.

"You know what that means!" Simba exclaimed in a loud-whisper, appearing overjoyed.

"Yeah" Nala replied. "It means maybe, doofus".

"That's all I needed to hear" Simba laughed, pacing in circles around the den. "I just need to know that you're with me, and that's all, really. If you're by my side, there's nothing that can stop us!"

Nala really did love Simba's optimistic nature, although it extended a bit too far sometimes. Still, there was something behind his words that almost made her believe him… scratch that, that _made her believe him_. He just seemed so sure of it — that they would be okay despite dangers lurking on the outside. The only thing that made Nala hesitant was that they didn't even know if this island actually exists.

"We'd be legends!" he added, further capturing Nala's intrigue.

"We would be" Nala acknowledged, careful not to show _too _much eagerness. She wasn't going to argue with that fact, as she knew they'd be seen as heroes for finding the Island of Tomorrow, which holds many treasures and useful creations.

"Oh, this is gonna be great!" Simba continued.

Nala beamed to herself silently, staring at Simba as he bounced around the den, looking happier and more content than she had seen him in a considerable amount of time. It would wipe Simba clean of any happiness if she were to go back on him, even if she did just give a "maybe".

Finally, he laid back down beside her, collecting his explosive emotions as they ran circles around his head, calming himself a bit.

"When were you planning on going?" Nala asked quietly, not wishing for any eavesdroppers.

"Oh, uh… maybe early in the morning? Like before the sun comes up?" he suggested, matching her soft tone. "We could stay near the entrance to the den so we don't wake anyone on the way out".

Nala looked out towards the Outlands one last time, and she knew that the two of them would most certainly begin their trek tomorrow. In the end, the idea was simply too tempting, and Simba was simply too charismatic… or she was simply too annoyed by his begging. Either one.

"We'll see how I'm feeling in the morning" she proclaimed, standing up once more with a mighty yawn. "I'm gonna go see what my mom's up too, since I won't be seeing her much, at least for a few days".

"Gotcha" Simba replied, still lying down.

"Are you not gonna come?" she asked him, gazing down at him as he continued lying there.

"Oh, yeah! Duh!" he responded as if it were a dumb question, at her side in an instant. 

This all was going to go flawlessly, and Simba just _knew _it. It was only a matter of time until the sun went down, and then...

_The journey would begin._

* * *

**Present Day**

* * *

Kion was awake, but his eyes remained locked as he wriggled himself a bit into a more comfortable position. He knew that the morning was close, but that he still had enough time to sleep a bit longer and try to gather some more rest. His circadian rhythm was usually pinpoint accurate, so he didn't ever have to worry about asking someone else on the guard to wake him. Although he loved to sleep in some days, he just couldn't, for multiple reasons. He had a duty to protect and serve the Pridelands, so he couldn't spend much time laying around. His mind would often begin racing of possible scenarios that may be playing out just out of sight, which would end in paranoia, which would inevitably end with him getting up for the day.

As he lay there in the early morning, his ear itched ever so slightly. He scratched it with his hind leg, and felt an insect fly away just as he made contact with it.

"_That's weird" _he thought, _"there aren't usually bugs in the den"._

As he thought about it, he began to feel the sun's gentle rays begin to burrow into his fur, warming up his side. Simultaneously, he felt a terrible ache on his head, just above his eye.

His eyes fluttered open and became filled with a sight that took his breath away in the most bewildering of ways. The young lion jumped to his paws and looked around quickly, his pupils widening with fear. Scattered around him was the rest of the guard, all fast asleep. The guard didn't usually sleep in the den with him and the rest of the lions, so it was an odd sight. However, there were two things that confused him just a _tad _more.

One: he, along with the rest of the guard, lie just along the border of the Pridelands, well past the waterhole. Two: all of them looked beaten and bruised. For more than just a moment, Kion thought he was dreaming, and pinched himself, slapped himself… whatever he had to do to wake up. Nothing seemed to work.

"Hevi Kabisa… guys! Bunga, Besthe! Fuli, Ono! Anga!"

The other animals began to stir as Kion yelled with undertones of uncertainty, moving closer to them as he continued to wake. The pace of his breath quickened, but he managed to hide it well, trying his best to remain stoic.

"Wha… where are we?!" Fuli asked, quickly leaping into a position ready for a fight. "What's going on?!"

"I totally did _not _go to sleep here" Bunga exclaimed, scratching his head. "And why does my _head _hurt so much?!"

"I don't know" Kion replied thoughtfully, rubbing the aching spot above his eye. "Let's get back to Pride Rock and we can find out".

Suddenly, a chilling, jarring voice as sharp as a bed of nails ripped through the Pridelands air from over to their left.

"I can't let you do that".

The whole of the group turned to the source in unison, and could not believe their eyes. The creature resembled some sort of large dog… at least a bit. It was more muscular, and much larger than even a lion. The eyes glowed a sinister shade of amethyst and its line of sight seemed to burrow straight into their spirits.

What was more concerning than even the animal's jagged, nearly serrated teeth were the arms. There were two of them, resembling that of an ape, bursting out of the creature's shoulders. However, unlike an ape, the hands boasted hook-shaped claws that seemed perfect for ripping and tearing. In that bone-chilling instant, Kion and the rest of the guard knew this was the creature responsible for the deaths of the lions in the Outlands.

"Who…" Kion choked, before regathering himself. "Who are you?!"

The creature did not flinch, nor did their expression alter in the slightest.

"I'm not burdened with supplying you such information. Leave the Pridelands and we will have no further issue" the voice spoke in a deep, cruel tone.

Kion was taken aback by the creature's insolence. Didn't they know who he was? He was the leader of the lion guard! He could blow this interloper sky high with the roar if he wished. In fact…

"I'm Kion, leader of the lion guard! I don't want to use the roar, but-"

"You must think I'm stupid" the creature spoke irritably. "I know about the roar. I do not care. The lion guard is nothing to me but six names to add to the list of those who stood against me and were eviscerated. Leave the Pridelands now, or I'll have to kill you all. You managed to get past me once before, but not this time".

Kion stared at the creature with great hostility, the distance between the two of them closing as the creature began to walk toward them. Behind the guard were the Outlands; they were being forced out of their home as the animal began to get closer and closer, its expression remaining utterly blank and void of any life.

"You give me no choice!" Kion shouted, burrowing his paws into the ground for leverage. The rest of the guard moved behind him to get out of harm's way, putting all of their faith into Kion's gift. If this were to fail, there's no telling what would happen next. But they had nothing to fear. This menace was simply another villain that would be washed away in the winds of the Great King. Kion was strong enough.

_They were strong enough._

He cleared his mind and took a brief deep breath. What if it was a dud? What if he missed? What if he couldn't summon the Great Kings?

_No. _This was it, and Kion knew it. He was going to make his father proud, and save the Pridelands from this creature that had drug them all the way to the Outlands to try and dispose of them.

"_Just try it" _Kion taunted in his mind with a smirk. "_Til the Pridelands end…"_

Kion reared back and then released a roar more powerful than he ever had. It was more powerful than the guard ever imagined such a small lion could ever create, blowing trees, boulders, vegetation and small debris into the air at a speed Kion had never before witnessed. It was as if he had stored up a super-roar of some sort, and it left Kion in awe of what he just produced.

The roar finally came to an end, and hardly anything was visible due to the dust storm the shockwave had produced. Kion could hear his friends coughing behind him, along with a few exclamations of utter shock.

When the dust finally cleared from the air, Kion squinted his eyes, searching profusely from side to side for any figure resembling the creature, but saw nothing but a gaping hole in the ground from where the roar had torn through all in its path.

"Maybe it didn't need to be _that _strong" Kion thought aloud.

"Wow!" Bunga practically screamed. "Kion, that was incredible! I've never seen anything like that!"

Full stood at Kion's side, her mouth still agape as she studied the effects of this roar that contained more power than she ever thought she would witness.

"Kion, how did you do that?!" she nearly whispered as she surveyed the hole in the ground.

"What _was _that?" Anga questioned.

"Incredible" Ono commented, breathless.

"I… I don't know" Kion replied dumbly, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't know I could… I didn't know that was possible. I feel… I feel so _tired_" he said, struggling to keep his eyes open. He suddenly felt as though he may fall unconscious at any moment. It was as if the weight of the earth had abruptly been placed inside of the cub's legs: he could not stand for much longer.

As Kion began to tilt from side-to-side, fighting for balance, the rubble just in front of them began to shift and move. Fuli's eyes widened with terror as she quickly realized that even Kion's immense roar had failed to kill the creature. She knew they had to, despite Kion's weakened state, get out of there.

_Fast. _

"Guard!" Fuli commanded. "We need to run. _Now! _Besthe, carry Kion on your back! Bunga, help me lift him on!"

"The guard of the Pridelands never runs from a fight!" Bunga declared in rebellion, turning to the creature, who had begun to resurface from under the rubble. The honey badger held his fists in the air, until he heard the creature's roar, which sent shivers up his spine. It sounded as if the screech of a hawk had been combined with the roar of a lion.

"Oh, uh… on second thought".

The two swiftly lifted Kion onto the hippo's back and did their best to secure him, telling him to hold on tight to Besthe. He groggily agreed and tried to do so to the best of his ability as he fell closer and closer to an unconscious state.

"_How did that not kill them?" _Kion asked himself, unable to come to terms with what had just occurred. He has produced something more devastating than he ever imagined he could, and it hadn't worked. The beast was still alive. He lapsed in and out of consciousness as the group fled. As the guard looked back, they witnessed the creature emerge from the crater, shaking the dust from their jet black fur. They immediately shook their head and turned to face the guard, running for their lives in the opposite direction, towards the Outlands.

"Well, now you messed up" the creature whispered under its breath, beginning to sprint at a rate faster than anything else in the Pridelands. The creature knew full well he was the anathema of the guard, and that they couldn't hold a candle to him. Kion's roar had been their trump card, and he had endured it. Now, there was nothing left to fear.

_The Guardian had no fear. _

Fuli turned back and was shocked to see the monster was running at a rate perhaps faster than even that of she — it was as if the creature was channeling the speed of a cheetah; perhaps _even faster_.

This animal was nothing the guard had ever seen, heard of, or imagined even in their wildest dreams. For all their lives, they had heard that lions were the top of the food chain — now, their minds had been instantly changed. The dog-like animal before them was far more intimidating than even the great Mufasa. In fact, they were _terrifying_, even to Bunga, supposedly the bravest of all. To the guard, the animal before them didn't seem like an animal it all. It felt more like a monster straight out of a vivid nightmare: a behemoth specifically designed to kill.

As Kion woke up for a moment, he was able to stare into the eyes of the creature pursuing them for a moment. The moment was quite startling to him, as, in that moment, he saw nothing in the eyes of this animal aside from ruthlessness. He saw the lives of the twenty lions of the Outlands reflected in their bloodthirsty glow, sending a sick feeling to his stomach as he latched onto Besthe, who was running as fast as he could muster through the edge of the Pridelands, doing his best to dodge rocks, holes and the like.

They wouldn't make it. Kion was again beginning to fall unconscious, hearing Fuli shouting commands to Besthe and the others, her voice saturated in a palpable terror. This was it. Besthe wasn't fast enough to evade the shape of death behind them, foaming at the mouth for six more additional souls to destroy.

"Kion, I can't make it!" Besthe choked as the creature began to close in on them.

"This isn't good!" Bunga screamed. "This isn't good!"

The heavy footsteps of the creature got closer until he was mere seconds from reaching Besthe. The hippo stomach began to tighten in pain as he attempted to go beyond his physical limits, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, as well as the rest of his friends.

The guard could seek no refuge in the concept of "fight or flight". The creature before them allowed no flight response to danger. He appeared to be able to keep up with anyone. Fight was hardly an option either after witnessing the creature survive Kion's roar for the ages. They were the ultimate predator, to put it in simple terms. It was perfectly designed to rule over the circle of life with an agenda of brutality.

Finally, Besthe's luck had run out. His front foot became stuck in a hole as he ran, twisting it painfully, causing him to collapse on the ground, throwing Kion a fair distance from him. He gasped in a mixture of horror and pain as he relentlessly tried to stand up, but failed. He had failed the guard. He had failed Kion. He had failed himself, and he had failed the Pridelands.

The creature was finally upon them. Besthe closed his eyes, preparing for the agony that was sure to come. All of the missions, all of the rescues, all of his relationships… the events, the memories, the emotions… they had all led beautifully to this moment of the soul's retreat. It was over.

As Besthe saw moments throughout his life flashing before his tightly shut eyes, he never felt the swift pain he apprehended so deeply. He took a breath, confirming that he was still, in fact, alive. His eyes whipped open and he surveyed the current situation, flabbergasted.

The menacing creature lay sprawled out on the ground, stumbling back into a standing position with eyes filled with fury. They growled, the appendages protruding from its sides clenched shut with frustration. Besthe had no idea what had happened. Had Kion let loose another timely roar despite his current condition? Besthe turned to Kion, who lay, once again, unconscious and obsolete. It couldn't have been Kion...

"Oh, what are the odds? Just past the border. How lucky can one be?" the creature snorted, narrowing his eyes. "Sometimes, one would rather be lucky than effective".

The guard continued to back up a bit, pondering the implications of the monster's words.

"He can't go beyond the border" Fuli breathed loud enough for her friends to hear, working to collect her stamina once more. "He can't go any further!"

"You're right!" Bunga remarked, placing his hands on his hips with a smug grin across his face. "You can't go any further, can you?" he spoke haphazardly to the creature, who stood, frozen. Their expression remained completely blank, aside from their nearly flaming eyes, which spoke more than words ever could.

The creature took a deep breath that sounded much like a gruff growl before taking his turn to speak, knowing he could go no further.

"I am the Guardian of the Pridelands. You are not welcome here. If you cross this border again, I will strip the flesh from your bones until you are but a memory".

"Whoa! Edgy!" Bunga yelled, pretending to be scared by the Guardian's words.

"Bunga, stop it!" Fuli warned, turning her attention to the Guardian. "Guardian? Of the Pridelands? Why are you here? And why do you want us dead so badly?"

She still didn't feel too comfortable having a conversation with the demon, even if there was an impenetrable field keeping him at bay. He felt like the kind of presence that was daunting regardless of circumstances. Still, she felt that there was valuable intel to be gained.

"I want you dead because your pathetic leader tried to kill _me_. What kind of question is that?" the beast grunted. "And yes, Guardian".

"What is your… purpose?" Ono stammered, still shocked that the guard was still alive and well.

"To guard, obviously. Common knowledge, really" the Guardian replied to Ono bitterly, prompting Ono to frown at the use of his catchphrase.

"That's not what I meant" Ono responded. "The guard serves under the great kings, and consists of _multiple _animals; one of which has the roar. Most importantly, they _protect _the Pridelands! Not try to kill the King's son! You're not… well, you're not any of that".

"But I am" the Guardian contended.

"Who do you serve, then?" Bunga asked as Fuli began to tend to Kion, trying her best to wake him in his weakened state.

"King Simba, of course" the Guardian answered plainly.

"Then… why are you trying to kill Kion?" Fuli questioned the Guardian earnestly, scared that she was missing something.

"I live a very free-form life, cheetah" the Guardian asserted, beginning to turn to leave them at the border. "I'll be watching you all. Don't try anything idiotic".

The guard couldn't muster even a word as the beast prowled away, finally settling down under a tree some distance away. Despite outnumbering the beast, the guard was still undermatched, and knew it would be wise to retreat for the time being.

"I-oh…. what…. where…" Kion mumbled, finally emerging from his sleep beside Fuli. "We got away?"

"He can't leave the Pridelands" Fuli revealed, still respecting the Guardian's presence enough to not take her eyes off of him. "I don't know what to do… your family could be in danger".

Kion came to a sudden realization. The royal family was acting _very _odd while the guard had stayed there for only one night, and Kion pinned it down on the fact that they may have been tired, or something of the like. Now, he saw that there was much more to the picture. This creature had taken over the Pridelands. Simba and Kiara must have known, but feared telling him, or _something. _There were still many aspects of the story missing.

_Why wouldn't they tell him? Why would this creature claim to serve Simba? Why did they claim to be a Guardian? _

"No" a higher pitch voice divulged. "Your family is fine".

The group's eyes collectively shifted to a badly beaten and contused Tojo, who wore a face of great anguish. He had managed to escape the Pridelands and rendezvous with them, just as he had planned. He wasn't going to miss out on their journey.

No one said anything as the lion cub stopped just in front of Kion, who still lay on the ground, drowsy.

"I'm sad to say that this is… a lot more than you think it is" Tojo continued.

"_More_?!" Bunga exclaimed. "We already think… _know _that there's some monster in the Pridelands who survived Kion's most powerful roar of all time and tried to _eat _us! What more could there be?"

"I saw it all" Tojo said, disheartened. "Kion, your dad isn't himself… at least I don't think. He's being controlled by something".

"How… do you know?" Kion asked him weakly, not understanding what the young lion was trying to say.

Tojo turned his gaze to the Guardian who currently still sat under the tree, watching them diligently from afar with a line of sight that could not be broken.

"_That _guy" Tojo began. "Your dad told him to do that. Well, not kill you. In fact, he explicitly said _not _to kill you, but I guess he's just a free spirit. Anyways, Simba told that thing to make sure you guys can't come back in. Don't know why. Oh, and I feel like I should mention something else" he finished, his voice retaining a grim quality to it.

"Yeah?" Fuli prodded, Kion being unable to speak at the news.

"When you guys were asleep, I watched Rafiki make you guys eat something… I think it was an herb, a plant… something like that. I think he was trying to keep you guys from waking up… he wanted to knock you unconscious for a while".

The guard looked as if they had seen a ghost as they waited for him to continue.

"Well, it didn't really work well. He started moving you guys towards the Outlands, and when you started to… stir a little bit, he hit you over the head with his staff hard enough to knock you back out. Simba… he was there too. He had to help to move

Besthe".

"No!" Kion grumbled, "you're lying! Tojo, why would you lie about something like that!?"

Tojo scratched his head nervously as the leader of the guard refused to accept what he was saying. After all, it was his father, who had raised him and loved him for all of his young life. Why would he banish them without reason? Why would he do it secretly? Better yet, why would he find one animal that outmatched the guard just to rub it in their face that they weren't good enough?

"_He's lying" Kion thought. "He's lying, he's lying, he's lying, he's lying. There's no way that's true". _

"I'm not lying, I promise. I don't know what's happening either… Kiara, she tried to save you guys… wake you up. And she couldn't do it" Tojo made known.

Kion remembered what his sister had told him the night before, when he knew there was something eating away at her. She had told him to find the island with a clearly desperate tone, which had, at the time, confused him. Now he knew that perhaps the island contained a solution to whatever was plaguing the Pridelands.

"How? How could this be happening?!" Kion yelled to the sky, back on his paws. He quickly felt lightheaded and nearly collapsed once more, but regathered himself. "How?! Grandfather! What do we do!? Why is this happening?!"

Kion received no answer but the whispers of the wind. As he looked down at the ground, feeling defeated, he heard his sister's words once more in his head.

"_You need to find this island. Please"._

* * *

**Around 18 Days Ago…**

"You mean…" Rafiki began as he sat closely beside Simba. "You did not banish him?"

The two friends stared into a small pond near Pride Rock. Their reflections appeared weary, faded and drained. The two hardly recognized themselves as they stared into the water.

Simba struggle to formulate an appropriate response. He had sent his son on a lengthy journey; one that he may never return from, which pained him more than nearly anything else ever could. However, he couldn't bring himself to banish Kion from the Pridelands, even if it meant saving it. He simply _could not, _and _would not_.

"I am sorry, Simba" Rafiki said in a tone Simba seldom heard. It was a tone that was laced with pity and judgement simultaneously. "He feared this may happen, and he offered a solution".

"He did?" Simba peered up from the water cautiously. "What… did he have in mind?"

"Don't worry, Simba" Rafiki assures him, quickly noticing his anxiety. "It is only a guardian for the Pridelands. A creation from him, a gift to you".

Simba was still confused. He didn't know what a guardian was, nor the purpose it served.

"However, you must know… this guardian has limits, and can only fulfill its broad purpose. But de guardian plays by his own rules; at least to an extent. You will have no power over this creation, but he could save our land!".

"So I'm supposed to bend my rule to this… guardian thing that doesn't even fall under my rule, even though it _lives _on the land that the light _touches!_" Simba grumbled, fearing what the future may hold for him and his kingdom. "How would it save the kingdom?" he demanded to know.

"He is exactly as his name suggests. He is a guardian, designed to protect. He will simply keep de danger at bay!" Rafiki explained.

"The danger being… Kion?" Simba asked.

"Yes! This way, he cannot corrupt the Pridelands, but you can still visit him in the Outlands".

The king's eyes appeared weary as he listened on. Simba didn't really like this plan, but there was little he could do.

"_Why my son? Why did I have to be the one to curse the Pridelands? Why do these stupid prophecies exist anyway? It just isn't fair". _

He remembered what his uncle Scar would often say to him as a cub about life, stating that if he expected a life full of justice and equity, he would lead a miserable life at best. It wasn't what anyone wanted to hear, but perhaps some needed to hear it. Although it didn't put a dent in young Simba's overpowering optimism, it did remain in the back of his mind, replaying in his eyes everytime he would witness something unjust, unfair, or something that just did not line up with what he had come to expect of the world. At least Scar could start he told him so.

It pained Simba to admit, but he did miss some things about his uncle Scar. He helped to solve many of the Pride's issues, but his mistakes and flaws overshadowed this in the end. Scar wished to become the King, but Simba, as well as Mufasa stood in his way. His banishment from the Pridelands some years back was simply inevitable, and Simba knew it. If he had been banished then, who knew what may have happened? Simba was more surprised that his father didn't exile Scar on his own.

"I don't understand why this had to happen" Simba cried, sounding more like a whimper than any sound a king ever made. His eyes scrunched up as he withheld tears, flattening his ears and dropping his head once again. "I just wanted a son, and the prophecies took him away. _He _did".

Rafiki was stunned at Simba's sudden loss of composure, as well as his emotional, angry state. Simba knew his father would never lose his composure like he was, but he didn't care. Not in the slightest. He had so much taken away from him now…

"He can do as he wishes" Simba spoke with a vengeance. "But if you think I'm gonna keep doing this much longer… I'm not gonna. I'm still Simba. I'm the ruler of these lands, and I'm not gonna be tied to a tree".

"I'm sorry, but you will be, King Simba" Rafiki spoke coolly. "You will be".

The king dug his claws into the dirt and clenched his jaw, before letting loose a roar that held little back. It was the truest expression of his growing hatred; the contempt that threatened to drown his former nature. He was becoming a soul piloted by violence and rebellion, filled to the brim with steaming hot lava and brimstone.

"Rafiki, you…" he stopped, holding himself back from voicing his true feelings. "Rafiki, how can you stand by and let this happen?! How?"

The wise mandrill, cupped his hands together and placed them under the water, gathering a pool of water to drink and lifting it to his mouth. After drinking the water, the mandrill responded with a trace of repressed agony in his voice.

"I do not want to, Simba. But I would rather lose Kion than lose all of the Pridelands".

"I can't say the same, Rafiki. Kion _is _the future of the Pridelands. I don't care what the prophecies say. The Great Kings would _never _have been okay with this… and I'm no king for letting this happen. I'm a failure, Rafiki. I'm a failure, and the Pridelands are gonna die with him" Simba spat, growling in anger at his own reflection.

_We're doomed._

* * *

**Well, that's bleak to say the least. I'll try to update soon, leave any thoughts you may have in the reviews if you would be so kind. Until next time, everyone! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back for chapter four! I apologize for the ridiculously long delay, but I just started school, so I've been super overwhelmed. Next update won't take nearly as long. Anyways, don't want to keep you waiting. Enjoy the newest chapter!**

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

"Do you hate me?" Simba asked in a low voice, ready for an answer that would surely crush him.

The two sat at the end of Pride Rock as night fell upon the Pridelands, the stars providing a deep, subtle glow to their surroundings as they found themselves deep in a hazardous conversation — one that involved Kion being sent away for what could be forever.

"I couldn't hate you, even if I wanted to" Nala replied in a tone that was more disheartening than anything. "But I can't believe that you did what you did. I would've expected you to get yourself killed before you would exile your own son".

"I didn't exile him!" Simba exclaimed with fiery eyes. "I sent them to the island because I thought once they found it… they would love it so much they wouldn't _want _to come back. It was the best idea I could think of" he choked to his wife, unable to look her in the eye. "And maybe… there's a way for them to regain what we lost. Dad told me about it for a reason" Simba added.

"Or maybe he was just telling a cub a bedtime story" Nala responded bitterly. "Which is more likely?"

"I don't know" Simba answered, sounding crushed. "My dad was… he was wise, but he told me a lot of things. I don't know what to be sure of".

Nala was hurt beyond what words could express by what her mate had done, but simultaneously understood the horrid circumstances around what pushed him to do so.

"I just don't know what to do from here" Nala whimpered, lowering her head and letting her emotions course through her veins. She wanted to cry, but she had done enough of that recently. There wasn't a reason to wallow any further, but she truly had no clue what else there was to do. This entire operation was simply bigger than the two of them, and the moment she came to understand this, she was crushed. Everything she had ever known was a lie.

"I wish I could say I know" Simba replied glumly, clenching his eyes shut and evading tears. "I didn't want this to happen. It was all a lie, and I was so naive, and… if I had known sooner…"

"We'll just have to fix this" Nala told him sternly. "I'll die if I have to".

Simba's eyes widened as he heard his mate's proposal; one of bravery he thought to be reckless.

"How could we-" the lion trailed off, noticing the daunting shape approaching the two of them. It was a creature he had grown familiar with the past few days. They were the one that conducted the process, and took care of the dirty work. Simba felt a new sense of rage flowing through his veins as he lay eyes on the Guardian. He spoke at last when the Guardian stopped just in front of the two of them, mere feet away.

"You…" Simba said as the Guardian's eyes snapped upwards to meet his. "I told you not to kill anyone".

The creature sneered to himself.

"I don't kill anyone until I myself am confronted with violence. Is that not the way of the land? Is self-defense now something considered reprehensible? I wasn't aware, your highness" the creature answered in a cool tone.

Simba thought to himself for a moment, trying to calm himself down.

"My son and his friends… they're gone?"

"I don't think they'll come back. At least for a while" the Guardian responded. "Your son's roar was impressive, I must say. Too bad it will no longer be needed here".

Simba growled, but kept his distance. He knew that confronting the Guardian would end in nothing but devastation — the creature was simply far too strong and wary of retaliation. The Guardian wasn't the one Simba wanted to kill anyways…

"Kion will always be a part of these lands" Simba stated coldly, refusing to look in the creature direction any longer, staring back at a broken Nala. "So will the roar".

"These lands aren't yours, Simba" the Guardian said, still staring Simba down. "They never have been, and they never will be. You may feel like this is your home, but you know as well as I do what these lands truly are all about…"

Simba's stomach dropped as he clenched his jaw, wincing at the memory of being told all there was to know. It was too much to bear at times, and he could never escape it.

Unless Kion one day returned...

* * *

**Present Day — Just Outside The Pridelands **

The group had been moving away from the Pridelands for a little while now, and Kion had not spoken a word in more than a few minutes. He was moving away from his home for what seemed like could be forever. To add to his inner turmoil, his family was most certainly in danger. The "Guardian" that chased them out claimed to serve Simba, but Kion believed it to simply be a trick; a part of the creature's scheme. He was no guardian.

Still, a small part of him believed the Guardian. What other reason would he have to act in the manner he did? Why couldn't he leave the Pridelands? If he was acting within his own jurisdiction, he certainly would've crossed the border to put an end to the guard. It was only a few additional steps — he would not have held back. The creature did not seem interested in chasing the guard, but more in patrolling the boundary, and ridding the lands of threats.

Perhaps Kion's hasty decision to unleash such a powerful roar was not in the guard's best interest, or his home's best interest. He thought he had finally gotten past his somewhat impulsive nature: something he inherited from his father. He just wasn't quite there, as he came to find. Still, there was a certain aspect to being the fiercest in all of the Pridelands that required one to act impulsively, and make the toughest decisions in the blink of an eye. The glory of victory and the agony of defeat were often placed squarely on Kion's shoulders. In this case, it was something more than agony. The pain of loss was driving him mad; it was as though there were claws slashing away at his heart, filling his stomach with icy water.

He kept thinking back to his sister's words, and now knew that they correlated to the danger lurking around the Pridelands. They had to find this island in order to solve this hulking problem. He also understood that his father sent them on the journey for a reason. It may have been to get rid of them so that they could not return… whatever the Guardian had said. But maybe… maybe there was something waiting for them there.

A tear found its way past Kion's eye and slipped through the air, hitting the dirt just before the lion. He felt broken for the first time in his life, and now had only one hope to feel at ease again. He had to find this island, and he had to save his family, his home, and everything he had come to know. He had no choice, and he would stop at nothing until it was done.

"Kion" Fuli said softly as they found their way back into the gorge, making their way east at last. "We're gonna find it. I know there's no way you can't worry, but try not to let it eat you too much".

"And how do I do that?!" Kion snapped. There was a moment of tense silence as the entirety of the group stared at Kion, baffled by his loss of composure. The lion shook his head as if he were refreshing his brain. "Sorry, I mean… I can't do that, Fuli. It's eating me alive right now. I didn't mean to snap at you".

Fuli fully understood that Kion was going to be on edge for a while, as his entire family was either in grave danger, or has exiled him and the guard from the Pridelands without reason. She didn't know which was worse to him, but considered both to be equally awful scenarios in their own right.

"It's fine Kion, it's not really possible for me to understand what you're feeling, but… all I can say is that we're gonna find it".

"We will" Bunga confirmed, trying his best to put on a serious tone. "We're still the guard of the Pridelands. We won't lose. _Never_".

There was always something to Bunga's confidence that was contagious. This instance was no exception. Although Kion still couldn't shake the feeling of fear from his body entirely, he was ready to give his best shot. He couldn't let this whole situation drag him under the waters, or they wouldn't stand a chance at possibly restoring what he, along with the others, had lost.

"You're right. We need to keep a level head and find this island. My sister asked me to find it for a reason" Kion said, mustering as much courage as he could in that moment. He had to be strong for his friends, but also for his family.

The group continued their mellow walk through the canyon as words began to become scarce. There just wasn't much to say that hadn't already been said in an attempt to lighten the mood. As the group moved onwards through the gorge, two silhouettes abruptly leapt from the shadows, one of them swiftly targeting Kion and dashing towards him. The two apparitions were revealed by the light to be two lionesses, both young in age, but boasting decades worth of ferocity within their eyes. One was a deep, rich shade of caramel, while the other was a lighter shade of copper with amber eyes. The former finally found herself pinning the leader of the guard to the ground, her eyes filled with a fury that was palpable.

"Kion! Leader of the lion guard!" the lioness spat in a bitter tone. "You have the _audacity _to leave the Pridelands after what your ordered!"

Kion's eyes widened in shock as he tried to shake himself free, but failed. The rest of the guard was quickly at his aid, but he ushered them not to attack.

"You… there has to be a mistake" Kion grunted under the weight of the lioness. "I didn't do anything".

"Liar" she said with passion, narrowing her eyes, so clearly pained by something in her recent memory. "They said they served your father!"

Kion's fears began to blend into reality, as he began to realize that these two lionesses had encountered the Guardian from earlier. Why was this creature claiming to he as well as others to serve his father? He just didn't know, and it shook him. There was something more to the picture that he knew he would find out in time.

"I promise! We came across that thing too… it tried to kill us. The Guardian guy. We found…"

The young lion then came to an awful realization — the lions that Ono and Anga found dead did look a lot like the lioness before him. He decided not to speak of it just yet.

"What did you find?" the lioness asked in a shaky tone. "A bunch of dead lions, maybe?"

"Yes… we did. But I promise, we had nothing to do with it. I don't know what's going on in the Pridelands… it isn't good. But that's what we're on a mission to find".

"So you… aren't lying..." the brown lion spoke softly, backing off of Kion and resting in a sitting position, her eyes downcast. "The thing… they don't serve your dad?"

The guard looked on curiously as Kion thought of an appropriate answer

"Definitely not" Kion assured her with honest eyes and a confident voice.

"That thing… it killed… well, it killed a lot of lions. I found Tama here in the Outlands and we were trying to escape before we came across you. We had heard that Simba sent this… thing to kill the lions of the Outlands. The Night Pride… well, the lions you found in the cave… we were on their way to propose a treaty between the Pridelands and the Night Pride. We found something… and… too long of a story. When were crossed the border, that thing killed them. Everyone but me, and maybe a couple of others. Almost all of them" the lioness explained, turning to the other lioness beside her.

"How did the bodies get in the cave?" Fuli butted in. "The Guardian couldn't cross the border when it was chasing us"

"I have no idea. Maybe some assistance?" the brown lioness stated, glancing at the cheetah. For a lion that had just lost her entire family and pride, she seemed quite stable. "You're Fuli, the fastest in the Pridelands?"

"That's me" Fuli replied in a mock excited tone, but not a bitter one. It just felt like the wrong time to be too nonchalant. "I'm sure you know the rest of the guard".

"Of course. And I'm Rani, leader… well, I used to be the leader of the Night Pride. And this is Tama" she said, gesturing to the tan lioness who appeared slightly irritated by the guard for reasons Kion couldn't seem to find.

"It's a pleasure, lion guard" Tama spoke. "Glad you've joined us outside on the land of misery. Now that your entire guard was replaced by that monster, maybe you could try to help animals outside of your own land. And who is _this_?" Tama added, gesturing to Tojo.

"Aren't there supposed to be six?" Rani questioned. "Are you part of the guard?

"Oh, uh… I'm Tojo. I'm technically not part of the guard, I just want to help" the lion laughed anxiously, slightly wiggling his tail between his paws.

Kion decided to change the conversation after observing Tojo's uneasiness.

"Where were you two headed?" Kion asked, changing the conversation away from the beast.

"We're here to kill that thing" Rani said confidently. "Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna make sure they regret what they did. And if I found out Simba _did _ask them to kill my pride… well, your dad will get what's coming to him".

Kion let loose a growl of rage but remained set in place. He was never particularly fond of those who defiled his father, especially in such a threatening way. His amber eyes glimmered with the heat of fire and brimstone as he stared Rani down while Tama began to lightly laugh.

"Cool it you two" she chuckled, looking more amused by the situation than concerned. "Jeez, I'm supposed to be the hotheaded one".

"You're not gonna kill them" Kion said angrily. "Even I couldn't! Not even with the strongest roar I've ever been able to… well, _roar_" he said, trying to search for the proper words before his face returned to one of wrath. "You're just gonna get yourselves killed".

"You have no idea the problems I've dealt with before" Rani snorted. "This is just another one on the list, and this one, well… I have nothing to lose now".

"I hate to agree, but Kion's right… it is a deathwish. But there's a way to fix this. We're on our way to fix it now, actually" Fuli interjected, trying to shift the light of the conversation elsewhere, or anywhere more optimistic.

"Oh look, you agree with Kion. What a shock" Rani replied irritably. "So, what's the solution? I'm curious to hear it".

Fuli tried to conjure up a way to not make their current endeavor sound unbelievable, but she couldn't. The prospect of searching day and night for this island that they didn't _know_ existed for a fact seemed quite silly. Furthermore, they didn't know _how _the island was supposed to help them. It was a shot in the dark more than anything, but it was their only hope. There was no plan B

"It's hard to explain" Kion said before Fuli could think of anything. "It's… an island".

"An island?" Rani questioned. "That's supposed to help us?"

"It's crazy" Bunga admitted. "But we're looking for Kisiwa Cha Kesho. Ever heard of it!?"

Rani looked taken aback, her eyes widening, and her mouth remaining open slightly, empty of words. It was almost as though she stopped breathing for a moment as the words wrapped around her, constricting her of air.

"The island of tomorrow? I must be thinking of something different. Maybe there's another Kisiwa Cha Kesho" Rani said breathlessly, scratching the back of her head. "That can't be what you're after".

"We're on our way there" Kion affirmed. "And whatever's there is going to save us".

Rani looked slightly horrified for a moment, before the expression drifted away and she once again appeared defensive.

"And _I'm _the one with the deathwish?" she questioned, gesturing to herself. "You plan to make it out alive?"

"Well, I… my dad didn't say it was… dangerous" Kion hesitated.

Rani laughed somewhat bitterly, looking at Kion in disbelief.

"That island? It's ten times more dangerous than the monster we're trying to get rid of" Rani claimed.

"And how would you know?" Kion asked her, not fully buying into her story. Why would the island be described as a paradise and a place of helpfulness by his dad and be home to such extreme dangers?

"You can take my word for it or don't, it won't affect me" Rani spoke coolly. "I know what you're talking about, and it isn't realistic… making it there, I mean. Tama and I, we _know_ this area".

"You don't know what's realistic for us" Bunga exclaimed in an offended tone. "There's morning the lion guard can't do if we put our minds to it!".

"Bring my pride back to life, then" Rani retorted with a blank expression, waiting for the honey badger to conduct a miracle.

"That's not what I meant by that" Bunga said in response, feeling sorry for the lioness, yet frustrated at the same time. He didn't know how to handle the situation — he felt on edge, yet filled with sympathy due to the unfortunate circumstances. "We can't do that. _But_, we can make it to this island".

"You two should come with us" Kion suggested out of the blue, provoking Rani and Tama to appear bewildered. Rani took a moment to close her chocolate eyes and shake off the initial shock of the question, turning to face Kion.

"_What? _Seriously?" Rani asked, clearly perplexed by the proposition. "Go to the island?"

"Yeah" Kion replied genuinely, trying to think of a way to be persuasive, but smooth. The guard could use the help of the two lionesses, as they were familiar with the land they were set to trek through. "My sister… the future queen, she said we needed to get to this island. I think we can fix whatever's happening if we do".

"Why would we do that?" Rani questioned, shocked at just how direct Kion had asked the question. "We just met you, and we'd never make it anyway. You may think your guard is all… unstoppable, but there's so much out there".

"We're not unstoppable" Fuli stated, entering the conversation once more. "We just were… well, _stopped _earlier today".

"She's right" Besthe stated nervously. "We know we aren't invincible or anything".

Rani looked on, still not thinking the guard quite thinking the guard understood what they were up against. They were a confident bunch that were sure of themselves, that much was obvious. She knew she couldn't stop them from continuing to pursue their treasure, and there wasn't anything left for her other than a frayed motive of revenge.

She didn't say anything, simply staring off towards the horizon, her eyes locked on nothing more than the distant air. She felt a tear begin to form in her eye as she realized her pride was gone, along with her future as royalty. Still, she didn't have time to focus on it. Now, before her, there was an opportunity to embark on a journey that seemed impossibly ambitious. But there was something so captivating about it… something that captured her intrigue more than anything ever had before. It was the prospect of finding this island, and potentially finding a way to right the wrongs she had witnessed. It was the contagious poise of Kion and the entire guard that made her sure that perhaps there was a way around the darkness; a way out of the cave.

"I… I don't know" Rani stammered, looking over at Tama. "There isn't anything for us here… but I'm not sure. I mean, you could be lying… you could want us dead. You might just be trying to waste our time".

"You don't have to go" Kion replied, not wanting to pressure the two lionesses. "But we'd appreciate the help. Plus, it's definitely going to be an adventure… if there's nothing for you here, why not?"

"We should" Tama quickly suggested before Rani could get a word out. "I will, at least. I'm sick of wandering the Outlands".

Rani began to panic, but hid it well beneath her stoic face, her eyes narrowing just a tad as she retained her stiff, insecure pose.

"What if we end up dead?" Rani asked, and for the first time, weakness, or fear, could be sensed below the surface of her voice.

"I'd rather die trying to fix this than die trying to kill that thing" Tama muttered. "Face it, we may die either way. I'd rather die trying to fix whatever is happening".

Rani, for once in her life, decided it would be best to take a leap. It wasn't according to her nature, of course, but she wanted to do what's right. For some reason, she couldn't help but trust Kion. He seemed so sure of himself and his mission, and she couldn't bring herself to doubt him.

She sighed and looked up in the air, shaking her head ever so slightly, as if she were trying to shake off her inhibitions.

"We'll go with you. If there's any hope of fixing everything, I want to be there to help do it".

Kion and the others smiled, glad to have changed the minds of the two lionesses quite quickly. The upcoming journey would certainly be more interesting with the two new additions to the team...

* * *

**Many Sunsets Ago**

Rani was at wit's end. She was facing the prospect of becoming the Queen of the Night Pride, as well as the primary protector of the Tree of Life. She may not have been a cub exactly, but it was a daunting prospect nonetheless. She wouldn't let it show, though. Rani wanted to project an image of sturdiness and stoicism; one of a true Queen. Sometimes she didn't know what it meant to be queen, so she went off her intuition. She just had to have faith that she'd live up to everyone's expectations, albeit a steep climb.

She sat alongside her father as the night enveloped them, along with the rest of the pride. Many animals were asleep by this point, but never Rani and the rest of the pride. They were truly one with the night, although they did find themselves awake at different parts of the day. They always had to be ready to protect their home.

At this moment, Rani listened intently to her father, who had just returned from a meeting with Simba; the King of the Pridelands. He briefly mentioned a strange, foreign land that deeply intrigued Rani's father. Her father did mention Mufasa's warning that, although this island is a paradise and a treasure, the lands around it are the most dangerous in all of the savannah.

"The King of the Pridelands… he's the one who told me about it. He heard about it from ole' Mufasa. Don't know how _he _knew of it" her father spoke. "Probably isn't anything even close to being reality. Mufasa always did have his head in the clouds".

"You said he was a great ruler" Rani recalled to her father.

"Yes, Rani. He was indeed. But Mufasa often spoke in very strange ways… of the Great Kings, the Pridelands, of life as we know it. I don't know how much of what he said was real, or what was simply a lesson through stories".

"Stories?" Rani asked.

"Yes, stories. He would tell stories in order to get points across… to help others understand complicated matters".

"Oh, like symbolism?" Rani responded, understating what her father was trying to say.

"Exactly" her father answered, turning his dark chocolate eyes back to his daughter. "Mufasa saw life in a way that many of us didn't, and he had a greater understanding of the circle of life".

Rani had heard many things of the former ruler of the Pridelands; she saw him as a great example for herself as a future leader. Mufasa and her dad were quite close at one point, but King Simba remained quite distant to them. Despite their recent meetings, the two prides weren't as closely knit as they once were.

"Dad?" Rani asked lightly, staring up into the comforting abyss of outer space.

"Yes, Rani?"

"I don't think you've ever told me… what happened to Mufasa?" she asked cautiously, knowing that Mufasa and her father were somewhat close. She didn't want to bring up any nightmares or painful memories.

"Well… no one really knows. Some say he died, others say that the Great Kings of the past reached down and pulled him up into the sky" the lion stated with a soft chuckle, before his expression changed back to one of sullenness. "He just… disappeared one day. Simba couldn't explain what had happened, he refused to. Neither could Queen Nala. All I know is that the two of them were never the same after that day".

Rani nodded, taking in the information. Her dad had made references to Mufasa's sudden disappearance before, but he had never elaborated. It scared her a bit — what if it were to happen to her? What if there were a killer lion out there looking to murder kings and queens across Africa?

Rani dismissed the thought as nothing more than a stupid story one of the cubs would tell at night in order to scare the others. But how did Mufasa die, or disappear? She couldn't stop thinking about it. She had to find out.

"Next time you meet with the Pridelands, you should let me go too" Rani said confidently, looking up at her father.

"Oh, you will, my daughter. We'll all go next time," her father said kindly, rubbing her shoulder affectionately. "One day, I hope you'll be the one to unite the two prides. That starts with our pride being on closer terms with them".

"I'll try my best, dad" she said in response, not knowing exactly what he meant by uniting the prides. Still, she would hate to be the ruler to disappoint in any sense of the word.

_She would be the greatest ruler the Night Pride had ever seen, and she would find out what happened to Mufasa if it killed her._

* * *

The** mystery continues to grow. I'm looking forward to showing you all where it goes from here! Hope everyone's still enjoying it! Leave any thoughts you may have in the reviews! Until next time. **


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